Pressure-generator.



T. WRIGHT.

PRESSURE GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 20, 1909.

956,465. PatentedrApr. 26, 1910.

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nivrrnn srnrns PATENT @FFTCE.

THOMAS WRIGHT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

PRESSURE-GENERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 26, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS WRIGHT, a citizen of the United States,residing at J ersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of N cwJersey, have invented a new and useful Pressure-Generator, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in apparatus for producing motivefluid for actuating prime movers, but more particularly one in which amixture of air and a combustible vapor or gas is exploded, and passedinto a storage tank or reservoir, to which the prime mover is connected,together with a steam generator which is also connected to the storagetank, the heat produced by the explosion being utilized to generatesteam.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an apparatus of thekind stated, which is simple in structure, and reliable and economicalin operation, and to this end it consists in a novel construction andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the drawings hereto annexed in which Figure 1 is anelevation of the apparatus partly in section. Fig. 2 is a transversesection on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, denotes a tank or reservoir in which themotive fluid is stored, said tank being connected by a pipe 6 to theprime mover 7, which may be similar in structure to an ordinaryreciprocating steam engine. In the pipe 6 is a valve 8 for controllingthe flow of motive fluid to the engine. One end of the tank is open, andin this end is mounted a cage 9 having at its outer end a seat 10 for asafety valve 11, said valve having a guide stem 12. Across the interiorof the cage extend cross bars 13 having guide openings in which the stem12 works. To the open end of the tank are secured screw-threaded stems14 which carry a plate 15 held on the stems by nuts 16 screwed on thelatter. The plate is spaced from the valve 11, and between the valve andthe plate are interposed coiled springs 17 which serve to hold the valvenormally seated. The tension of the springs is adjustable by the nuts16. If the pressure in the tank rises to a point sufficient to overcomethe tension of the springs, the valve opens, and relieves the excesspressure, after which the valve is again seated by the springs.

At 18 is indicated an internal-combustion engine the cylinder of whichis denoted by the reference numeral 19. The piston 20 of this engine isconnected by a rod 21 to a crank shaft 22. The explosive mixture issupplied to the engine from a carbureter 23. The inlet valve 2 1 and theexhaust valve 25 of the engine may be operated in the usual, or in anypreferred manner, and the charge is exploded by an igniter 26. Thestructure of the engine is immaterial to the invention, and for thisreason a more detailed description thereof is thought unnecessary.

Located adjacent to the cylinder 19, on one side thereof, and extendingparallel thereto, is a pump 27 the cylinder of which is indicated at 28.The pump piston 29 is connected by a rod 30 to a crank 31 on the shaft22, said crank being set 180 degrees from the crank to which the rod 21is connected. The cylinder 28 has a partition 32 whereby it is dividedinto two chambers, in one of which the piston 29 works. The otherchamber, which has been designated by the reference numeral 33, is anexplosion chamber, this chamber being connected by a pipe 3% with thetank, and said chamber being also provided with an igniting device 35.In the partition 32 is a valve 36 which opens into the chamber 33.

The chamber in which the pump piston 29 works is connected by apipe 37to the carbureter 23, and at the inlet end of the pipe into the chamber,is a check valve 38 which opens into said chamber.

The explosion chamber 33 contains a coiled pipe 39 which passes throughthe wall thereof, and leads at one end to the tank, and at the other endto a pump 40 the cylinder of which is entered by the aforesaid pipe andalso by a pipe 41 leading to a tank or other source of water supply 12.Between the coil and the pump is a check valve 43 and between the pumpand the tank is a check valve 44. In the cylinder of the pump 40 works apiston 45 which is connected by a rod 46 to a crank 47 on the shaft 22.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: The engine 18 whenrunning, operates the pumps 27 and 10. At the suction stroke of thepiston 29, the mixture of air and combustible vapor or gas from thecarburetor enters the pump chamber, and at the compression stroke ofsaid piston, this mixture is forced into the explosion chamber 33 whereit is ignited by the device 35. The

exploded charge passes into the tank 5 by the way of the pipe 34, theinlet and outlet ends of said pipe being provided with check valves 48to prevent return of the charge into the explosion chamber. By theintense heat produced by the explosion in the chamber 33, steam isgenerated in the coil 89, and it passes into the tank 5. The pump 4L0keeps the coil 39 supplied with water from the tank or other source 42.The tank 5 is thus charged with a motive fluid under high pressure,which is employed to run the engine 7 upon opening the valve 8.

\Vhat is claimed is 1. The combination of a reservoir, a cylindercontaining a partition dividing the interior thereof into a pump and anexplosion chamber, the pump chamber being connected to a source ofexplosive mixture, and the explosion chamber being in communication withthe reservoir, a valve in the partition opening into the explosionchamber, a steam generating coil located in the explosion chamber, andcommunicating with the reservoir, a piston working in the pump chamberfor supplying the explosion chamber with successive charges of anexplosive mixture, means for operating the piston, and means forigniting the charges.

2. The combination of a reservoir, a cylinder containing a partitiondividing the interior thereof into a pump and a combustion chamber, thepump chamber being connected to a fuel source, and the combustionchamber being in communication with the reservoir, a valve in thepartition opening into the combustion chamber, a steam generating coillocated in the combustion chamber, and communicating with the reservoir,a piston working in the pump chamber for supplying fuel to thecombustion chamber, means for operating the piston, and means forigniting the fuel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS WRIGHT.

Witnesses J. A. JOHNSON, CHAS. HILLIARD.

